Increase Your Energy One Nap at a Time

While small children typically take naps in the afternoon,
our culture generally frowns upon mid-day sleep. However, sleep science shows
that the “power nap” may be the most effective energy booster yet!

Even in those who get enough sleep (but particularly in
those who don’t), many people experience a natural increase in drowsiness in
the afternoon, about 8 hours after waking. And research shows that you can make
yourself more alert, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve productivity with a
nap.

The power nap means more patience, less stress, better
reaction time, increased learning, more efficiency and better health.

The
Sleep Deficit

The body needs 7-8 hours of sleep per day; 6 hours or less
triples your risk of a car accident. Sleep is cumulative; if you lose sleep one
day, you feel it the next. If you miss adequate sleep several days in a row,
you build up a ‘sleep deficit’, which impairs the following:

• Reaction
  time
• Judgment
• Vision
• Information
  processing
• Short-term
  memory
• Performance
• Motivation
• Vigilance
• Patience

Fatigued people also experience more moodiness, aggressive
behaviors, burnout and more stress.

The Benefits of a Power Nap

Studies show that 20 minutes of sleep in the afternoon
provides more rest than 20 minutes more sleep in the morning (though the last
two hours of morning sleep have special benefits of their own). The body seems
to be designed for this, as most people’s bodies naturally become more tired in
the afternoon, about 8 hours after we wake up.

When you sleep you pass through different stages of sleep,
known together as a sleep cycle. These stages include light sleep, deep sleep
(which is believed to be the stage in which the body repairs itself), and
rapid-eye movement sleep, or REM sleep (during which the mind is repaired).

Many experts advise to keep the nap between 15 and 30
minutes, as sleeping longer gets you into deeper stages of sleep, from which
it’s more difficult to awaken. Also, longer naps can make it more difficult to
fall asleep at night, especially if your sleep deficit is relatively small.

However, research has shown that a 1-hour nap has many more
restorative effects than a 30-minute nap, including a much greater improvement
in cognitive functioning. The key to taking a longer nap is to get a sense of
how long your sleep cycles are, and try to awaken at the end of a sleep cycle.
(It’s actually more the interruption of the sleep cycle that makes you groggy,
rather than the deeper states of sleep.)

Tips for a More Effective Nap

If you want to reap the health benefits that go with getting
enough sleep, here are some tips for more effective napping, courtesy of
Michael Rothbard, CEO of Sleep Studio:

• Avoid
  caffeine after 3pm: it can disrupt your sleep and stay in your system
  longer than you think
• Create
  an ideal sleep environment: cool and dry bedding will help you make the
  most of your zzzzs
• Set
  an alarm: make sure your nap lasts the time you want and need
• Try
  meditation: if the power nap doesn’t work for you, then some peaceful time
  to yourself might be just what your body needs to recharge